Princess CruisesvsCelebrity Cruises

Princess MedallionClass is the most functional wearable technology in mainstream cruising — a quarter-sized device that enables keyless cabin entry, locates family members anywhere on the ship, allows drink and food ordering to any location, and tracks your account without needing your phone. Celebrity relies on a smartphone app and keycard entry. For multi-generational groups where tracking family members across a large ship matters, MedallionClass delivers a daily quality-of-life advantage Celebrity simply doesn't offer.

Celebrity's Edge-class ships (Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent) feature Infinite Veranda staterooms — the entire front wall retracts to merge cabin and balcony into one space. Some guests love the design; others find it less satisfying than stepping out onto a real balcony with open ocean air. Princess retains traditional walk-out balconies with physical railings. For Alaska itineraries specifically, where guests want to stand outside in cold air watching glaciers, Princess's traditional balcony is the stronger choice. Important: Celebrity's Solstice and Millennium-class ships have traditional balconies — this debate applies only when comparing Edge-class ships.

Celebrity Edge-class ships win on nightlife design — Eden is a three-deck living art installation that transforms from a cafe by day to a performance space by night. Princess owns the 'Movies Under the Stars' experience — blankets, popcorn, and first-run films on a massive poolside screen. If you're choosing for couples who want sophisticated evenings, Celebrity wins. If you have a mixed-age group where kids and grandparents both need evening options, Princess wins.

Princess offers flexible dynamic dining across multiple main dining rooms with no fixed times or table assignments required. Celebrity's Edge-class ships (Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent) take this further with distinct themed restaurant concepts included in the base fare — genuine menu variety beyond a single rotating menu. This multi-venue dining is exclusive to Edge-class ships. On Celebrity's Solstice or Millennium-class ships, you get one main dining room with a rotating menu, similar to Princess. Always verify which Celebrity ship you're booking before comparing dining options.

Celebrity's All-Included rate bundles Wi-Fi, drinks, and gratuities into the base fare making budgeting simple. Princess's lower base fare plus the Princess Plus add-on ($60/day) is often $150-200 cheaper per person for comparable inclusions. Run the full math before dismissing Celebrity on headline price — the gap is smaller than it appears and Celebrity's Wi-Fi is consistently more reliable in our database.